John Inverdale to leave BBC Radio 5 Live after 25 years

Original BBC Radio 5 Live presenter and reporter John Inverdale is leaving the station today.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday afternoon will be his last presenting duty.

John started his radio career at BBC Radio Lincolnshire in 1982 before joining BBC Radio 2 as a sports reporter. He then went on to host Sport on 5 and was one of the main regular presenters on 5 Live when it launched in 1994.

In an email to staff, Bob Shennan said: “Sports coverage on BBC Radio (and television) is the envy of the world, and that is often down to its first-rate presenters and commentators. John Inverdale is one broadcaster who’s calm, warm, empathetic style is a masterclass in sports presentation and interviewing. He was a driving force behind the successful launch of Radio 5 Live 25 years ago. In fact its very tone and style was based on John’s own presentation style.

“I worked alongside him for many years and have no hesitation is saying he has been the pre-eminent Radio Sports presenter of his generation-truly one of the ”greats”.

John Inverdale

“For more than thirty years he has brought the highs and lows of sporting endeavour to a grateful nation. Friday’s Cheltenham Gold Cup will be John’s final presenting duty for Radio 5 Live. He has done an amazing job for the BBC and we, and his listeners, will miss him.”

John Inverdale gets his present from the Bbc radio 5 live team as he prepares to present his last cheltenham festival! Top bloke! pic.twitter.com/m2FCXs9LiH

It's the end of an era today as the superb John Inverdale, one of our great sport broadcasters, signs off as the host of the @bbc5live@CheltenhamRaces Festival coverage after 30 years anchoring the BBC Radio coverage. He deserves the fondest of fond farewells.

Such mixed emotions ending the week. Been fantastic but John Inverdale picks up the presenters mic for the last time @CheltenhamRaces@bbc5live .They say no one is irreplaceable but he challenges that maxim. Creative, incisive, challenging, funny, poetic. He has the lot.

Well said Mb23. I can think of literally less than a handful of mistakes Invers has made in I don’t know how many hours of live tv and radio, all of which he apologised for either at once or when they were pointed out. I wish him luck and am happy to join you in paying tribute to a marvelous career.

Met him once (he won’t remember) but was an absolute star. Very down to earth, good sense of humour. Great bloke. Wish him well, hope he picks & chooses well if he continues TV stuff. Don’t go to Talk John, please.. Another serious loss for the Beeb and Five Live’s downhill slide continues.

A very decent man and a superb broadcaster. Sometimes people simply move on to do other things and I would imagine that is what John is doing.
Once he has recharged his battery’s he will look at his options and decide from there. That is what the top level do in any walk of life.

LEANN
YOU ARE RIGHT JOHN INVERDALE IS A BIG LOSS TO THE BBC BUT MARK THESE WORDS I SAY TO YOU TALKSPORT WILL SNAP JOHN INVERDALE
THIS WILL MEA HE WON’T BE SUCH A BIG LOSS TO BRITISH SPORTS BROADCASTING. ALSO JOHN INVERDAKES WILL ATTRACT LISTENERS TO TALKSPORT RIM BBC RADIO 5LIVE.

He has left Radio 5Live …..that does not mean he will not be on BBC Television. He may well turn up on another station but having earned about £200,000 a year for a number of years he will be able to pick and choose whether he wants to work or not, and at 61 why would he not want to semi retire.